Shock absorber



.July s. 1924n 1,500,655

F. S. SPRINGSTEAD SHOCK ABSORBER Fiied Jan. 18, 1923 Clftozmng Patented July 8, 1924.

FRANKLIN S. SPRINGSTEAD, 0F ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

SHOCK ABSORBER.

Application filed January 18, 1923. Serial No. 613,512.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN S. SPRING- s'rEAD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rochester, in thek county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shock Absorbers, of which the following is a speciiication.

The object of this invention is to provide a new and improved shockabsorbing Spring support for auto chassis. v

This and other objects of my invention will be fully villustrated in the drawings, described in the specification and pointed out in the claims at the end thereof.

In thej accompanying drawing:

Figure l is a perspective view of the front axle of arFord car with my improved shock absorber interposed between the spring and perches and the body ofthe car.

- Figure 2 is a perspective view of the rear axle of a Ford car with my improved shock absorber interposed between the spring and perches and the body ofthe car.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the connection between the shackle and the lever of the shock absorber.

- Figure -i is aV perspective view of theend of the spring connecting withV the end of the lever of the shock absorber and oiling device being shown in connection therewith.

Figure 5 is afperspective view of the connection shown in Figure 3 withan oiling de-V vice combined therewith.

l In the drawings, like reference numerals indicate like parts.

Shock absorbers for automobiles are in-` tended to absorb the shocks and jol-ts given tothe body of the car when the wheelsv thereof strike obstructions or depressions in the road over which the car travels. Many of such devices are being made and used on automobiles and while these absorb the i shock it`has been found that their reaction reaction of the shock absorbing members is eliminated by changing the direction of part of the force so that the one force will counteract the other force while the shock isbeing absorbed and the reaction takes` place. VIn Figure 1 is illustrated theV application 0f my invention to the front axle of a Ford automobile. It isl well known that in this type of car the body is supported by means of two springs one on the front axle and one on the rear axle of the car.

In Figure 1 reference numeral 1 indicates the iront axle. @n this axle is regularlyjplaced the perches 2 and 3 which perches in a Ford car extend inwardly toward each other at the top and from them hang the shackles or links which support the ends of the spring in a state of suspension. In the use of my invention the positions of these perches are reversed so that the upper ends of them point outward toward the wheels. To these perches 2 and 3 are pivoted the outer ends of the levers i and 5 and 6 and 7. At the points indicated at 8 and 9 are provided bolts which pass through the levers and hold them together in engagement with the metal yoke 19.

Reference numeral 12 indicates the long spring that is regularly furnished on the Ford oar on which spring normally rests the support 13 which carries the car body. Between the spring 12 and the support 13, as part of my invention, I interpose a short spring 14E. This spring 14C is special and forms part of my invention The two springs 12 and lil are fastened to the support 13 by the original clamps 16 that are regularly found on a Ford car. The inner ends of the levers 4 and 5 and 6 and 7 are each provided with two parallel rollers 17 and 18 suitably supported between the ends of the levers by bolts or rivets that p-ass through the levers and connect them together. The rollers are suitably spaced apart one above the other to receive the ends of the sprin 14. As the spring lil bends because of t e shock Athe ends of the springs play out and in between the rollers between which at all times they have free play and by which they are firmly 'held in place. ends of the spring are curved up as indicated at 14A forming hooks or stops which on the rebound engages the upper roller 17 and retard the further upward movement of 'the car body so that it cannot rise further without taking the chassis with it. Y

As indicated at 19 a metal yoke is provided which is U-shaped and is recessed on each side thereof to receive the levers 6 and 7 of the shock absorber7 these levers being As shown Vin Figures 1 and Ll the fastened together. by the bolt or rivet 20 which passes'through the levers and holds them in engagement with the yoke. The bottom of the yoke provides a seat or bear-V ing for the` shackle bolt 21 to which the shackles are connected which in turnl connect to the end of the spring 12. For this purpose -t-he shackles regularly furnished with the car are used. p

The operation of the shock absorber on the Vfront axle is as ifollows:

When a shock occurs one or bothends of the lfront axle raise and through the perches the outer ends of the levers are: raised 'as well. Through lthe shackles the levers raise thefouter ends of the big spring 12 slightly and pull down on the ends `of the small spring 14 by a greater -amount thus allowingithe wheel and axle to pass over `the obstruction either without sensibly raising the car body or raising it very gently. 0n the rebound the springs 12 and 14 return `to and lpass beyond normal position but in so doing the ends of the spring 14 are raised bythe levers 4, 5, 6 and 7 until the hooked ends 14A come in contact with the rollers 17 by which the further upward movement of the spring 14 and the car body is arrested and .in this way the rebound of the car body is retarded. During all this movement the parts operate to hold the car body centered with reference to the Wheels and axle of the car.

vIn Figure 2 I yhave shown this same type oflmount appliedto the rear axle ofa Ford car. In Figure 2, reference numeral 30 -indicatesthe rear axle housing on theends'of which are regularly provided bolt holes which support the kperches regularly ifurnished inthe Ford car. These y.perches are removed and are replaced by my special perches 33v and 34 held in place by my bolts 31 and 32. On the perches are pivotally mounted the levers 35 and 36 and 37 and 38. These levers at'their inner ends `carry a pair of rollers between them 39 and 40, 41 and 42, suitably spaced apart which rollers-supportthe ends Vof the spring 43.

VThis spring 43 is also a special spring forming part of my invention, the ends of which are curved up as indicated at-V43A forming the hooks or stops which on the rebound engage the upper rollers '41 and retard the further upward movement of the carfbody so that it cannot rise further without taking Vthe chassis -with it.

The outer ends ofthe springs 44 are sup portedby the shackles 47 and I48 for which purpose theshackles furnished with the car are used. The upper ends of these shackles are pivotally supported onthe bolts V21 on which Tin yturn is supported the y'metal U shaped yoke that is connected to the long leversofthe shock absorber insubstantially the'saine way as is shown in Figure 3.V

The operation of theV shock absorber on the rear axle is as follows:

When a shock occurs oneV or both'of the Vends of the rear axle raise and through the perches the outer ends of the levers are raised as well. Throughthe shackles 47 and with themuntil the hooks-on the ends therei Yof engage with the upper rollers 39 and 41 by which the further upward movement of the spring 43 is retarded and in this way the rebound of the car body is retarded. During all this movement lthe parts operate to hold the car body centered with reference to the wheels and axle of the car. v

In Figure 4 I have shown a modification of the end of the lever' which lever is eX- tended up andcarries a V shaped pocket 60 which is filled with waste combined with oil orgrease by which theroller 17 is lubricated. This modification would apply to all the levers ofthe shock absorbers at the inner ends thereof both on the right and 'left hand side of the car and at the yfront and back ofthe car. In Figure 5 lI have shown a modification ofthe yoke shown in F igure 3 in which a cover'61is provided therefor which makes it `a closed yreceptacle which can be packed with waste mixed with oil or greasejto form suitable lubrication .-to -the bearingsthereof.

Y `I claim:

ward movement thereof.

2. A shock absorber vfor la supporting spring which comprises a spring superimposed onsaid supportingfspring, leverscon;V

necting the ends of said supporting spring with the ends of-said .superimposed spring, a sliding vconnection between -the ends of said superimposed spring and said levers, a shoulder formedfon the ends of said super# imposed vspring said shoulder being adapted 105 1. A .shock absorber Vassociated `with anY to arrest the sliding motion of the ends of said superimposed spring on said levers at a predetermined angular position of said levers to the ends of said superimposed le 5 ver, said levers being fulorumed to cause a depression of the ends of said superimposed lever and creating a downward opposing force applied to the supporting point of said supporting spring against the upward force of said supporting spring When said fulcrum and with it the ends of said supporting spring are raised.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

FRANKLIN S. SPRINGSTEAD. 

